Monday, August 31, 2015

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, September 5, 2015 to Monday, September 7, 2015:

Audubon Center in Prospect ParkSaturday, September 5, 2015, 12–1 pmIntroduction to Bird Watching
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club

Freshkills Park (Staten Island)September 5, 2015, 10:00amFreshkills Park Site Tour
Site tours are approximately an hour and a half long and tell the story of the past, present and future of Freshkills Park development via a guided bus ride through the site. Stops at the top of the park’s hills offer beautiful panoramic views of Staten Island. Space is limited, all ages welcome. Free. Meet at the St. George Ferry Terminal Information Booth (across from Au Bon Pain).Sign Up at EventBrite

September 5, 2015, 1:00pmFreshkills Park Site Tour
Site tours are approximately an hour and a half long and tell the story of the past, present and future of Freshkills Park development via a guided bus ride through the site. Stops at the top of the park’s hills offer beautiful panoramic views of Staten Island. Space is limited, all ages welcome. Free. Meet at the St. George Ferry Terminal Information Booth (across from Au Bon Pain).Sign Up at EventBrite

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Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon SocietySunday, September 6, 2015 - 9:00 AMBlydenburgh Park
Blydenburgh County Park, in Smithtown, occupies 627 acres of richly forested hills and valleys at the headwaters of the Nissequogue River. It is one of the least developed and most picturesque spots on Long Island. Our walk will focus on migrating songbirds.
Directions: Take the Northern Parkway east and merge onto Rte. 347/454 E (Veterans’ Memorial Highway). Make a U-turn at Ledgewood Dr. and enter the park.
Registration: 585-880-0915

New York City Audubon SocietySaturday, September 5, 2015, 8:00am – 9:30amVan Cortlandt Bird Walks, The Bronx
Guides: NYC Audubon, Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy
With the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy
Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center. The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds. These walks celebrate the tradition set forth by these great ornithologists. Participants will look for various species of residents and migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics. For more information, please call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)September 5, 2015 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 amGreat Kills Park
Hylan Boulevard and Buffalo Street
Join birder Anthony Ciancimino for a guided nature walk at Great Kills Park. Participants will first check the mudflats for migrating shorebirds, herons, and terns. We will then proceed to the nature center area and walk around the trail that leads into great habitat, particularly for species that favor open habitats. Possibilities include Ring necked Pheasant and various warbler and sparrow species. Participants will meet in the second parking lot on the left side in the park. This is the lot that stands at the foot of the short trail that leads to the mudflats. For more information email Anthony at sibirdwatcher@yahoo.com

Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Join the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Sunday, September 6, 2015Early Morning Bird Walk: Fall Migration at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
Catch a glimpse of a variety of species as they pass through the park on their way south.
Free!

Here's how Jacob Drucker described the Bashakill in his NYSYBC trip report back in 2009: "a large scrape in a valley that has accumulated with runoff water and turned into an absolutely gorgeous body of water and swamp." Jacob went on: "Standing on Haven Road, a causeway running across “the Bash,” we were surrounded by water, vegetation, and of course birds. Ducks were everywhere, and we quickly found American Wigeon, Gadwall, American Black, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green Winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Common and Hooded Merganser, and Ring-Necked, and Wood (which practically covered some of the trees) Ducks. All of these were present in substantial numbers. There were also a few instances of a Pied-Billed Grebe or two around, and of course, Red-winged Blackbirds.
Wrap up your summer by coming with us to bird this magical place!

Permission form due by 8/27/15. If you have not yet submitted a 2015 medical form (page 2 of the permission form) please submit it with your permission form.